Huf has come a long way since its humble beginnings slinging the best sneakers and streetwear in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. Keith Hufnagel and his team quickly outgrew the boutique niche and have becomea full blown skate apparel and footwear brand. Today Huf has a stacked teamed (including low-key legends like Joey Pepper, who recently got a signature shoe), a wildly popular range of product (weed socks, anyone?), and some hefty celebrity co-signs.

Moving on to our favorite pick from the Plan B series, Plan B Skateboard Complete Felipe Victory 7.6″ Tensor Assembled, suitable for all kinds of riders, but is an ideal skateboard for intermediate skateboard riders. The deck is made from 100% North American maple and measures 7,6 inches. Its wheels are 52mm TGM wheels which means it is excellent for both street and park skating. We also love its lightweight trucks and heavy-duty aluminium with grade 8 steel kingpins and axles plus the bushings (USA made) and pivot cups. The bearings are rated 5 on the ABEC scale.
Blank decks have no graphic on them and are typically priced very reasonably. Blank decks are usually colored a solid color or may even be made of unpainted wood. Historically blank decks have gotten a bad reputation for poor quality, however, there are a few brands of blanks today that are very similar in quality to pro boards and much more affordable. The downside to buying a blank complete with all blank parts is the lack of style and customization when compared to a pro deck. Also, blank skateboards may vary in quality from batch to batch, so it may be hard to find the same blank skateboard if you want to buy another one. Overall, blank skateboards can be a solid option if you have a tight budget and the person you are buying for doesn’t really care about the logo and brand.
Modern decks are made with a composite of thin layers of either maple or bamboo pressed into a near symmetrical shape with a nose equal to or longer than the tail. The deck should be concave (subtle U shape) along the whole board with both the nose and tail angled upwards (the "kick" of the board). Conceptually while the skateboard is a platform, it also serves to cup the balls of the skater’s feet with rising sides, nose and tail providing the foundation for pretty much all modern skateboard tricks.
Element, based out of Irvine, CA, is one of the cool skateboard brands today. They came in first on our list due to their quality boards, sustainable practices and the affordability they offer customers. They’re an environmentally responsible brand who creates their boards without causing any environmental damage. The Element team behind the company is comprised of a group of professional skateboarders who interact with a strong belief in the Element brand. They not only offer great products, but stand for an open minded and active lifestyle and have become one of the best skateboard brands in the world.
Krooked’s video release to date include ‘Krooked Kronichles‘ (2006), the experimental ‘Krooked – Gnar Gnar‘ (2007) only released on VHS in limited numbers, predating the explosion of interest in the outdated VHS format as foregrounded by brands such as Palace skateboards some years later, ‘Krooked – Naughty‘ (2008) and Krooked – Krook3D (filmed in both regular and 3D formats) (2010).
Krooked’s video release to date include ‘Krooked Kronichles‘ (2006), the experimental ‘Krooked – Gnar Gnar‘ (2007) only released on VHS in limited numbers, predating the explosion of interest in the outdated VHS format as foregrounded by brands such as Palace skateboards some years later, ‘Krooked – Naughty‘ (2008) and Krooked – Krook3D (filmed in both regular and 3D formats) (2010).
What longboard brand is good? This is a common question that arises when you want to buy a Longboard. The typical answer is a Longboard brand which can fulfill the customer’s demand at an affordable price. Let’s examine all the leading longboard makers in the past year and until now. Let’s also take a look at their feature, quality, design, color, small parts, and many other relevant criteria.
In summary - recognizing a real skateboard isn’t rocket science, but it does take some amount of brand awareness and ultimately even trial and error. We tried to take the guesswork out of it by starting SkateXS and openly sharing and celebrating each and every component we use to build our skateboards. Hopefully we have been able to share the values and priorities we put into those design decisions.
Based out of Huntington Beach, California, Good Skateboards is a grassroots inspired skate brand specializing in quality boards. Skateboarding isn’t about what you do, but how you do it. That’s Good Skateboard’s mission and they’re sticking to it! The brand is committed to supplying the skating industry with positive vibes and exceptional products that make you appreciate skateboarding all over again. Good Skateboards decks are constructed from 100% Canadian maple and made in the USA. Their decks are classic in board style and feature fun artwork from artist Vincenzo Colonna. In addition to decks, they also offer branded tees and accessories featuring their iconic “Ok” hand gesture logo. Good Skateboards t-shirts have similar graphics to what you see on their decks. You’ll see the same artwork on their stickers too!
Now let us have a look at the features of the Powell Golden Dragon Flying Dragon which make it such an amazing buy. Firstly, it is affordable and works great for both, skateboard beginners and intermediate riders. We love its high rebound wheels; the hand-cast polyurethane wheels roll perfectly and have a good grip too. We also love how the aesthetically pleasing graphics bottom is paired with a top that measures 7.625 inches in width and 31.625 inches in length. The board has easy control and glides smoothly. And guess what? You get all of this at an amazing price.

Thunder trucks are solid, with some great innovations. Thunder's light truck range claims ​to be the lightest available, with the quickest turning. Thunder's team is also pretty impressive, with Thomas, Appleyard, Marks, Steamer, Ellington. The list is actually pretty huge. If having a lot of pros ride the same trucks as you is important (which isn't a bad idea - these people are skating in competitions, and want the best!), then take a look at Thunder.

Harsh weather, cracked pavement, angry cops—all things that make Raw New England just so raw. The name is also an acronym for Ready Amongst Willing—a perfect moniker for one of the East Coast's toughest brands. Raw's product drops aren't quite as frequent or bountiful as some other brands on this list, but the decks, tees, hoodies, and caps with the bold RAW logo are must-haves for New England's skate crowd. Visit the brand's shops in Boston or in CT to get the goods in person.

Stacy Peralta and George Powell rekindled their business relationship in 2010 and have since been extremely successful once more, particularly through the re-release of many of their classic legacy skateboards, assisted by the return of the legendary graphic artist Vernon Courtlandt Johnson (aka VCJ) who was responsible for creating many of the brand’s most iconic board graphics.

This brand gets its name from a slang term for strip club. One video was called “Chicken Bone Nowison,” and it opens with a scene of skater pummeling a security guard. Is that not awesome enough? If there is a company that embodies a more perfect IDGAF attitude in skateboarding, please let me know. For the homies, by the homies is their mantra, which is pretty cool with a team comprised of rippers like Theotis Beasley, Andrew Reynolds, Dustin Dollin, Jim Greco, Terry Kennedy, Lizard King… The list goes on.
There are actually several types of skateboards but the most common ones are the longboard, cruiser, and carve skateboards. A longboard is usually at least 33 inches. It is a great mode of transportation and works well for cruising around. The cruiser also works well as a mode of transportation but many consider it more beneficial as it has a shorter skateboard, which promotes ease in transporting around.
Thunder trucks are solid, with some great innovations. Thunder's light truck range claims ​to be the lightest available, with the quickest turning. Thunder's team is also pretty impressive, with Thomas, Appleyard, Marks, Steamer, Ellington. The list is actually pretty huge. If having a lot of pros ride the same trucks as you is important (which isn't a bad idea - these people are skating in competitions, and want the best!), then take a look at Thunder.
Krown Rookie complete skateboards are a prime example of a product that is well liked, and of great quality. Just like with the previous Krown product we discussed, the company has given us several colors of the product o choose from. This is a great addition, since it helps riders personalize their rides whichever way they want. It also limits the possibility of running into someone that is sporting the same skateboard at you!

It was a slow start for 3D, who had Alex Olson bail on them when they first started out before they could even get their first run of boards inside of shops, leaving the company at just two riders: Brian Anderson and Austyn Gillette. Now, due at least partially in part to Brian Anderson’s solidified status as a skateboarding legend, 3D has taken off and become an established brand that’s not taking itself too seriously, but still putting on for skateboarding. 3Ds first video offering, featuring amateur rider Tom Karangolov in a dreamy pink colorcast world, has even showed that they’re looking to shake things up in the stale footage side of skateboarding.

As it eventually became more apparent that skateboarding had a particular identity with a style of shoe, other brands of shoe companies began to specifically design skate shoes for functionality and style to further enhance the experience and culture of skateboarding including such brands as; Converse, Nike, DC Shoes, Globe, Adidas, Zoo York and World Industries. Many professional skateboarders are designed a pro-model skate shoe, with their name on it, once they have received a skateboarding sponsorship after becoming notable skateboarders. Some shoe companies involved with skateboarding, like Sole Technology, an American footwear company that makes the Etnies skate shoe brand, further distinguish themselves in the market by collaborating with local cities to open public Skateparks, such as the etnies skatepark in Lake Forest, California.[83][83][84][86][87]

Positiv decks are usually maple, but some are hard birch. They are made using the same laminating process and glue that Powell Peralta boards use. These decks have Positiv’s super slide treatment (SST), which is essentially a plastic lining that makes the board slide more easily. The stuff works, and wax becomes less necessary for slides with these boards.
Skateboards can be bought online and in your local stores. However, choosing a good skateboard can be challenging. If you are a beginner there are a lot of things that you have to consider. Aside from the cost, you should also check the entire board such as the wheels, the deck, the trucks, and others. Here, we have compiled the best skateboards for sale that you can choose from right now.

Without good grip tape, skaters have a tough time staying on top of their board. The main complaints about poor grip tape tend to be that it was never very grippy or lost its grip really quickly. Once again, we recommend trusting in name brands with years of experience supporting skateboarders. Unfortunately, if you are buying a pre-made complete skateboard, you probably won't have access to the brand name of the grip.